Outgoing Councilwoman Pat Freda says Cañon City's founding fathers would be proud of all the accomplishments and strides the council has made in the last six to eight years.

Freda is wrapping up her second and final term in office, having first been elected in 2007, and again in 2011. After retiring from 30 years with the Department of Human Services in Fremont and El Paso counties, she immediately became heavily involved with the Fremont County Democrats before being petitioned by friends and colleagues to run for the city council seat. She has been the only woman on the council in at least the last eight years.

"It's been very rewarding," she said of her time on the council. "I've gotten in touch with the community, and I've met people and organizations I never would have otherwise."

The council has gotten a lot of projects off the ground and in motion, Freda said. Some projects will be ongoing.

"Our founding fathers were visionaries, and they left us an incredible legacy," she said. "Look at what that group of people from that time and with what they had at hand, left for us, and what we have done as a community is we have coasted in that for probably almost 100 years."

She said the community became a city that simply existed, but her council eight years ago decided it was time to bring the city to the next step and they have in recent years been building on the legacy of Cañon City's founding fathers.

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"It's sort of like a make it or break it," Freda said. "We'll never have a better opportunity to bring this city to the next level than now, and my fear is that if we don't do it, we may have let something slide that we can never get back."

The community in the past has not invested in itself, Freda said, but this council has turned that around. The council has worked alongside the city and the public to create and implement the Downtown Strategic Improvement Plan, the Cañon City Vision Plan, and plans for the river and highway corridors and the city-owned 5,000-acre Royal Gorge Park

"What town has an asset of that magnitude, that is incredible — and we were doing nothing with it," she said of the Royal Gorge Park. "That's where the (June 2014 wildfire) was a mixed blessing in that we had no choice but to come in and rebuild."

Freda said the council has been working to turn it from a roadside attraction to the asset it genuinely is.

"It was an enormous responsibility because we are creating something for the community that is going to have to last another 80 years," she said. "That is a huge undertaking and a big, big responsibility."

She said Cañon City's founding fathers would be proud of the recent downtown improvements, Macon Plaza, the library restoration and the innovative measures the council has taken to encourage business.

During both campaign cycles Freda pledged "four P's" — to Preserve historic downtown, to Prepare with careful planning and responsible development, Progress by promoting local business and welcoming new business, and Protect responsible use of resources and responsible stewardship of the environment. She feels she has lived up to each of those pledges.

During her time on council, she represented the city on the Pueblo Community College Advisory Board and the Community Advisory Group for the Cotter Superfund Site. She feels she is leaving the council in good hands with the newly elected members who will be sworn in Jan. 4.

"I've often said the council is too old, too retired and too male," she said. "I think this new council is a step in the right direction. We will have two gals now and we will have some youth — I think that's a good thing."

With more time on her hands, Freda looks forward to taking part in more fun activities, and not having to make heavy decisions.

"Certainly to have fun, but in truth, I have many years invested in a very ambitious vision for our city, and I fully intend to continue to support this in any way I can to help keep it moving forward," Freda said.

Freda and her husband, Tony, were married for 57 years when he died in 2014. She has three grown daughters and six grandchildren.

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